Conduit block making apparatus



Nov. 28, 1933. M, LA DUE 1,937,350

CONDUIT BLOCK MAKING APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1932 44 I Iagmimg;

flurzgar Patented Nov. 28, 1933 I -UNl'llE5D- STAT-ES PATENT OFFWE 1 V1,937,350] K l comm BLooK MAKING APPARATUS J Russell M. La Due, Siouxcit Iowa Application March 14, 1932. Serial No. 598,722 Y 3Claims.(01.,25-36) An object of my invention is to provide a conduit blockmaking apparatus of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensiveconstruction.

More particularly, it is my object to provide a machine for formingcementblocks with a plurality of ducts therein. v v

A further objectis to provide a plurality of packer head assemblyelements arrangedto form ducts in a cement block during the formingofthe '10 blOCk,WhiCh packer'head assemblies are operated by means ofdriven shafts operatively con: nected together and synchronizedsothatprojections on each packer head assembly will travel symmetricallywith respect to the next adjacent l5 packer head'asseinbly.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front plan View of a machine frame illustrating aplurality of driven shafts with my packer head elements arranged at thelower end of each shaft.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1illustrating the packer head assembly in section within a conduit block.

' Figure 3 is a similar View of two adjacent packer head assemblies in aposition slightly different from the position shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a train of gearings fordriving the packer head carrying shafts.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the packer headassembliesarranged in a plurality ofrows; and

. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a cement conduit block made with mymachine.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference character A toindicate generally a.

frame having a top bearing 10 and an intermediate bearing 12. Aplurality of driven shafts 4 14, 16, 18 and 20 are illustrated asmounted within the frame A. The shafts 14, 16, 18 and 20' have gears 22,24, 26, and 28 mounted thereon respectively. The gears 22, 24, 26, and28 are in mesh with each other as clearly illustrated in Figure 4. Agear 30 is mounted on a suitable shaft 32 driven from a source of power.An intermediate gear 34 on the shaft 36 connects the gear 30 with thegear 24 so that the train of gears just described and as villustrated inFigure 4 rotate in the direction indie cated by the arrows 0 shown uponeach gear. The

. tive gears shafts 14, 16, 18 and 20 rotate in the direction indicatedby the arrows shown upon their respec The shafts 14, 16, 18 and 20' arecapable ofvertical movement relative to their respective driving gears.

Placed adjacent to the frame A is a mold 38, formed in any suitablemanner, and having a substantially rectangular cross sectional outline.The mold is of the size. and shape to form the block shown in Figured. j

In order to provide .a plurality of ducts 40 in the blockB, I provide'packe'r head assemblies C shown upcn the bottom of each of the shafts14, 1s, 18an'df2G. I f a e l Each packer head assembly 0 includes acylindrical trowel member 42 and a'pair of oppositely spaced wing cheeks44. The wing cheeks 44 are bolted or otherwise secured to each shaftupon flattened portions formed thereon. The wing cheeks 44 arepositioned just above the trowel members 42. A chute 46 is employed forrunning cement into the mold 38.

When the cement first enters the member 38 the packer head assembly isat its lowermost position. After the packer head assemblies are rotatedin opposite directions as has heretofore been described and the wingcheeks serve to pack the cement and the trowel members therebelow serveto finish the duct and as the packer head assemblies move upwardly theyleave within the block well defined and finished ducts.

The packer head assemblies operate and rotate in opposite directionswith the wing cheeks 44 positioned so that the wing cheeks of any twoadjacent packer head assemblies are symmetrically arranged.

It will be noted from Figure 3 that the two adjacent wing cheeks are inexactly the same position relative to the cement block. As the packerhead assemblies having wing cheeks as a part thereof rotate in thedirections indicated by the arrows 46 they are brought into positionsrelative to the material adjacent the two ducts as atr50 wherein onepacker head serves as a wall against which the pressure exerted by thenext adjacent packer head exerts its force. Each packer head servestoprevent the material as at 50 from collapsing or breaking down duringthe manufacture of the cement blocks. In making blocks out of cement andpacking them so as toprovide ducts therein, it is necessary that thematerial be packed against some wall-like object and I employ the nextadjacent packer head asembly to take. up the force of the opposite wingcheekso that practically each packer head assembly revolves within amass of cement-like material as though a complete mold enclosed eachpacker head assembly and as though only one duct was being made withinthe block.

It will be noted that the packer head assemblies all revolve in oppositedirections and that they are synchronized so that the wing cheeks arepositioned to meet and register correctly one to another and this istrue irrespective of the number of rows of ducts that may be made.

I have illustrated in Figure 2 the use of four packer heads to make afour duct block and it will be understood that the number may be varied,that is two or more.

In Figure 5, I have illustrated two rows of duets with three in eachrow. The number of rows may be varied and it is only necessary, in orderto keep the material betweenthe ducts from 001-. lapsing, to have thepacker heads operate in opposite directions, although synchronized as toposition of the wing cheeks upon each packer head.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my device' without departing from the real spirit and purposeof my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, anymodified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which maybe reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:--

1. A concrete conduit forming apparatus comprising a plurality of drivenshafts, gearing between said shafts for driving them in oppositedirections, a packer head assembly upon each shaft, a pair of oppositepacking wings on each packer head assembly, the packing wings of eachpacker head assembly being operatively connected with the next adjacentpacker head assembly so that the packing wing of one assembly isdirectly opposite the packing wing of the next adjacent assembly whenthey pass the thinnest part of the wall between adjacent conduit openings and thereby prevent collapsing of the con crete in said thinnestpart of the wall.

2. In an apparatus for making a concrete conduit having a plurality ofsubstantially parallel ducts, a mold, a plurality of shafts, a packerhead on each shaft, a packer wing on each packer head, means forimparting rotation and longitudinal movement to said shafts and saidpacker heads and means for synchronizing the rotation of said packerheads so that said wings are directly opposite each other when in saidmold and adjacent the thinnest part of the wall of a conduit beingformed by said packer heads and for synchronizing the longitudinalmovement of said packer heads so that said wings are continuouslyopposite each other throughout such longitudinal movement.

3. In an'apparatus for making a concrete conduit having a plurality ofsubstantially parallel ducts, a mold, a plurality of shafts, a packerhead on each shaft, a packer wing on each packer head, means forimparting rotation and means for synchronizing the rotation of saidpacker heads so that said wings are directly opposite each other when insaid mold and adjacent the thinnest part of the wall of a conduit beingformed by said packer heads.

' RUSSELL M. LA DUE.

